the essential
A very sensitive musical instrument, the saxophone requires very perfected quality of accuracy and sound. Jef Delsuc has made it his job by carrying out this mission for amateur and professional saxophonists alike.
If the profession of luthier, expert in the restoration of stringed instruments, is relatively well known, that of saxophone repairers is much less so. In Saint-Denis, in the Montagne Noire, Jef Delsuc is the one and only in the Aude department to maintain these wind instruments, belonging to the woodwind family, invented in 1846 by the Belgian Adolphe Sax. However, nothing initially predisposed him to embrace this career, except having tried playing it at a very young age: “I remember that in my school canteen, they gave me a saxophone in my hands and I immediately had a revelation,” he confides.
In Saint-Denis since 2018
Following a more traditional course (with a master’s degree in regional planning and development), Jef Delsuc worked for a time in water management in the Tarn department. But the music was stronger and, thanks to the support of a colleague practicing this profession of maintenance, repair and restoration of saxophones, this adopted Audois trained for two years. Initially based in Aragon, it was in 2018 that he moved to Saint-Denis, to a more functional home and premises. His professionalism, recognized well beyond the local clientele, has enabled him to gain national recognition. “I was able to expand my reach thanks to word of mouth and social networks,” he explains.
-From Toulouse, Rennes, Paris
Another string to his bow, Jef Delsuc specializes in vintage saxophones, to which he has immoderate admiration: “These saxos from before 1980 all tell a story, and if I repair all kinds of these musical instruments, that remains my favorite,” he continues. Its clientele is cosmopolitan, whether made up of amateurs or professionals. They need regular maintenance of their instrument, revisions, and even repairs. From Toulouse, Rennes, Paris, these are sent by post or brought directly by their owners to the workshop.
From overhaul to repair
Once in the clinic and depending on the work to be done, the saxophone can stay there from a few days to several weeks for large projects. Several types of work are carried out by Jef Delsuc: from the classic overhaul with the introduction of a light inside the instrument in order to check whether the holes are blocked by the pads, to the replacement of defective components. “After complete disassembly and removal of all wearing parts, re-buffering consists of changing buffers, corks and felts. I also operate the tension and balancing of the springs, correct mechanical play and do bobology to to dent the small shocks that the saxophones may have suffered”.
A real work of art completed most often by cleaning and degreasing. Following the removal of the old varnish, the patina is a treatment consisting of causing a more homogeneous and aesthetic oxidation. “This makes it possible to obtain a finish with a more or less dark aged bronze appearance. This is now more up to date than very flashy saxophones. In addition, the old varnish can have consequences on the acoustics. Musicians are very sensitive to it.
